Rubio denies US role in Bolsonaro’s flight from Brazil, Trump offers open-ended stay

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied on Monday that the United States played a direct role in the arrangements that allowed Flavio Bolsonaro, son of defeated Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, to leave Brazil after the election. President Donald Trump, however, stated that Bolsonaro could stay in the United States "as long as he wants."

Bolsonaro and his family arrived in the US on Wednesday following a court order to seize his passports amid multiple investigations against him. During a press conference in Atlanta, Georgia, Rubio stated that "the US government was not involved directly" in the Bolsonaro family's departure.

The plane carrying the Bolsonaro family to the US was reportedly chartered by Jason Miller, an adviser to Trump, using a US bank account, according to a head of the airline quoted by AFP. The White House has not commented on the flight, but Trump called the Brazilian election "disgraceful" and expressed sympathy for Bolsonaro, saying the president "can stay here as long as he wants."

A Brazilian diplomatic source requested anonymity, stating that Argentina's diplomatic representative was summoned for a routine meeting to "provide explanations" on the flight. Argentina's foreign minister later denied Brazil's request for such an explanation. Bolsonaro claims he left Brazil due to persecution, and he has been serving a 27-year sentence under house arrest for plotting a coup following his loss in the 2022 re-election.